


Invisible - A retelling of Sun, Moon and Talia

by Applesith



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Freeform, The archive warnings are here just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-17 01:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8124697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applesith/pseuds/Applesith
Summary: A prophecy foretold that Ben will fall to the Dark Side on his 16th birthday. Scared for their son,  Leia and Han decide to do the only thing they can think of at the time: isolate him from the world and hide the existence of the Force until he's of age.Rey is a scavenger who grew up on Jakku. When Unkar Plutt sends her offworld to retrieve the Millenium Falcon, she doesn't expect to discover worlds so rich of wonders.-----------------------------------------------------A retelling of the original version of Sleeping beauty where the Dark side replaces the splinter of flax.





	1. The Medlab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prophecy foretold that Ben, son of Leia Organa and Han Solo will fall to the Dark side on his sixteenth birthday. Hoping to change his fate his parents make a drastic decision: to hide the existence of the Force from Ben. 
> 
> This is my piece for Keeping the stars apart - a reylo fanfiction anthology 2016 - A fractured retelling of the original version of Sleeping beauty, aka Sun, Moon and Talia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Bittersnake, Politicalmamaduck and LarirenShadow for being awesome mods and giving away their time and energy for this project <3 
> 
> Special thanks to everyone on the Skype chat for being so awesome and welcoming. You all helped me overcome my fears and for that I'm forever grateful. I'm happy I can call many of you friends now (I won't say names, you know who you are).

The lights flickered twice, a sign that the auxiliary power had taken over.

In the medlab, the smell of chemicals barely covered the stench of rust and stale air, pumped from the surface of the planet through giant fans, to be recycled and redistributed to the corridors of the underground facilities by a series of vents drilled inside the rock.

Phasma pressed her cheek against the glass, tracing invisible lines where Ren’s left arm used to be. Her many silver bracelets rattled against the hard surface like bells and the young man twitched, his face partly covered by the breathing apparatus the medical droids had placed over his mouth before filling up the bacta tank.

“He looks like a big fish,” said Hux, before biting his nails; a nervous habit he never got rid of after his brief passage at the Academy. The once promising officer was sitting atop a desk across the room, his legs crossed under him. “I hate fish,” he added, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“What do you think he’s dreaming about?” Phasma asked. She was wearing a gray V-neck shirt that left nothing to the imagination and a pair of tight black trousers tucked in high boots that accentuated her long limbs. At her hips, two chrome plated blasters waited, nested inside their holsters, to greet anyone foolish enough to cross her or the First Order.

“Who knows what Ren thinks even when he’s awake?”

 

Her companion looked more fatigued and concerned than ever, his pale blue eyes sunken into his ghoulish face. He continued, his voice shaken. “Do you think she’ll come after us next?”

Disregarding that scenario, Phasma adjusted her untidy ponytail and tutted. When time allowed, she devoted hours to creating ornate hairstyles, but due to her hastiness this morning she had to choose practicality over fashion.

Field officers had contacted her at dawn after they discovered Ren lying in a puddle of blood in the clearing where the Millennium Falcon used to be. She would not be concerned if it had been an isolated incident. The Knight and his charming personality had many enemies. No, something else was brewing. Earlier that week, an unusual yet insignificant report was left on her desk - a single assailant, described as a woman in her early twenties, had knocked down a bunch of thugs outside the spaceport. At the time she had dismissed it with a smile - _Men without honor deserve no less than to get their egos and faces bruised_ she often told her disciples. Although her motivation beyond the theft was unclear, now she suspected this girl to be behind both crimes. Was it a rival gang or a more personal attack?

The men suffered mild contusions, but Ren was badly injured, his arm almost yanked off by what the informant had recounted over the commlink “as the most vicious, bestial act he’d ever seen”. Whoever defeated the Knight was powerful. No wonder Hux was so scared.

“Don’t worry little brother, I won’t let her come near you,” Phasma told him. “I promise.” Hux only nodded in response. He believed her. They were not siblings, not in the blood sense at least, but Phasma was the closest to a sister he had. If anyone could protect their strange family, it was her.


	2. Ben’s seventh birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, thanks for commenting on Chapter 1. If you haven't you still can *wink wink nudge nudge*
> 
> Because I wanted this story to be a patchwork of moments from Ben and Rey's lives I decided to posted several chapters in one go rather than one chapter at a time. I think it probably makes more sense.

 

All communications came into Leia Organa’s office, which was adjacent to the bedroom she occupied when she stayed with her family. This part of the house was off limits except when Ben received her late afternoon call, which was a daily occurrence unless the Senate was in a deadlock. Oftentimes his mother was delayed, allowing him to peruse her belongings, like the little gifts from ambassadors and diplomats she kept exposed on a shelf. Ben liked her study. The furniture in the office reflected her personality; elegant yet functional, sturdy rather than fancy. Living among keepsakes made her absence more bearable.

 

In the middle of the room sat a SoroSuub projection pod. It was an unusual piece of equipment one would expect to find onboard Star Destroyers, not in the private home of a key figure of the Rebel Alliance who was responsible for the fall of the Empire not even a decade ago. The holoprojector reclaimed from an imperial ship had been installed in her private quarters as a cheeky reminder of the resourcefulness of the new regime. Why waste functional material? Even things spawned from the Empire had their use under the New Republic - Leia, above all, understood this.

Ben stood facing the pod, looking up at his mother’s holographic projection. She wore a long-sleeved dress he assumed was blue (but it could have been due to the blue cast that holographic technology gave everything) with a large belt encircling her hips. From that angle her braids formed a crown. In his eyes, although she hated to be called by that title, his mother  _ truly _ was a princess. Even standing thousands of light years away, he could sense her aura of indomitable resolve and authority. For all that, before being a Senator, a war hero, and the heir to a royal dynasty, she was his mother; the most beautiful, kind, and wise person in the entire galaxy.

“Happy birthday sweetheart!” she said with a wide, warm smile. “What have you been up to? Are you enjoying yourself?”

Although he knew lies were bad, Ben lied because no child wants to be the reason their parents cry at night. Moreover he had turned seven today and therefore could not tell his mother how much he missed her, how bored and sad he was when left behind. As she had explained numerous times, she had a duty to the galaxy and, as much as she wished to stay with him more often, she needed to travel for long periods of time. Sometimes he wished he could visit her instead, but the Senate was not the place for a young boy as his father often repeated.

“Yes. I’m having a lot of fun with Nestal today.” As usual his tone was cheerful enough to fool even his mother. 

Nestal was his nanny, a woman in her early twenties, with dark hair and sad brown eyes. He never really had fun with her and was glad she would leave his mother’s service soon. The people looking after him left after eight months of employment and her seventh month ended in a few days. He knew because he kept a secret book where he marked down the days under each name. He had met many faces over the years, some he missed and some he had forgotten already.  

The hologram of his mother flickered, the signal getting lost between planets. She turned away from him as if something or someone had caught her attention.

“The chancellor can wait, can he not?” he heard her snap to whomever interrupting her. When she faced the holoprojector again, she looked sad. “I have to go love. I will be home soon, and so will Daddy. Love you.”

 

“Love you too,” Ben replied, trying to hold back his tears as the hologram disappeared.

Nestal returned him to his room. Master Ben, as the housekeepers called him, could only stay unsupervised inside his bedroom, and he usually needed time for himself after talking with his mother. Unlike the other rooms, the door had no lock, but two droids were standing guard, waiting to alert the staff if Ben ever wandered the corridors alone.

As soon as he ensured no one watched, he threw himself on the bed and let fat tears stream down his face. He knew it was childish; that his parents would be disappointed with him. He had no reason to be sad. They loved their son and only wanted the best for him. Ben looked around and spotted his toy box. It was full of gadgets and toys and stuffed animals of all sizes and colors. Everything a child would desire. Yet, they had not been touched for some time.

Once the hiccups stopped shaking his small body, he tried to regain control of his emotions. It was pointless for a seven year old to cry like a baby. Many important things needed to be done. He approached his desk and gazed out of the window. From that angle, he could see the tall duracrete walls encircling the Villa.

He tried to remember if he had ever set foot in the world beyond. He was only a toddler when Leia Organa and Han Solo moved to this secure and remote location in the middle of the jungle.

Even as a child Ben was always thinking, pondering at the mysteries of the ages. Often he sat watching the skies, contemplating birds of prey circling over his home, ready to dive toward their next meal with their open talons. He wondered if his parents sought to protect him from the outside world because he was as weak as a baby jakrab. 

“If I become stronger, mum and dad will let me travel with them,” he concluded one day.

Ben wanted nothing more than to explore the galaxy, study the customs and languages of all sentient species so one day he would become a leader like his mother. She was sitting in the galactic Senate by age fourteen. If he kept studying and being brave, so would he.

Until then, as long as his parents thought he was in danger, he was stuck in this gilded cage.


	3. The traveler

There could not have been a greater contrast between the carefully controlled atmosphere inside the shuttlecraft and on the surface of the planet. After breathing the filtered, sanitized air of their ship for the past several hours, the travelers were bombarded by the sudden influx of fragrances from at least a dozen different species of wild flowers, carried by the wind from the heart of the jungles of Bestal Three. The wonderment did not last long-- it took only a few steps on the tarmac of the underworld spaceport for the visitors to be crushed under the oppressive humidity and dampness of the primeval forest, and many were caught looking back in yearning at the sterile, tempered, environment of their ship.

Unlike Teesh Amak himself, the young human woman he transported looked unaffected by the climate change. Another trait to add to the list of unsettling things about her. He could not put his finger on the exact reason, but since she had approached him on Coruscant a few days ago, he felt awkward around her. Everything about her should have been attractive: by human standards she was rather pretty, big hazel eyes, long eyelashes, a small nose and pink lips. Her outfit was plain, of good quality but not tailored, meaning she had the money to pay him for his trouble but not enough to bribe the right people. The ideal passenger in theory. Yet, the way she looked at him petrified the Twi’lek.

“How much for passage to Bestal Three?”

When she walked to him, he was enjoying a drink of Corellian brandy, keeping a lustful eye on the many beauties undulating on the dance floor of this popular cantina in the entertainment district. The music, an electrifying rhythm popular among the younger generations of the core planets, was loud and obnoxious even for his taste. Despite the volume, neither of them raised their voice. The mere fact that she was talking and looking at him dimmed everything else and made the world adopt a sluggish pace.

For long minutes the smuggler pretended to be offended at the implication he was in any way involved in the unregulated transportation business. Did she not know that, by law, it was forbidden to transport undeclared travelers off planet? What sort of fool did she think him to be? No, Teesh Amak was the reputable owner of a cargo ship and did not understand what she was talking about. Looking uninterested in this game, the young woman eventually handed him her contact information then turned and left, without waiting for a response. As soon as she disappeared the music resumed at full volume and Teesh felt a little dizzy.

He was not sure why he called her back later that night. Sure, the money helped, but there was something else. The call to the void, spacers called it; this irresistible attraction to the darkest, coldest parts of space. To accept this job was like standing in the middle of nowhere admiring the stars with your hand on the airlock switch, ready to be flushed into the vacuum.

She joined him the next day near the hangar bay. If one was trying to escape Coruscant unnoticed from the authorities, there was no reason to choose the Fallen Star; it was not the fastest nor the biggest vessel on the planet-city and there were many, safer, cheaper options to choose from. Yet Teesh knew why his passenger needed his ship. The small freighter came with some unconventional upgrades, the most important of all being an ID chip no bigger than a pinhead-- A highly desirable piece of technology to those in the smuggling trade who knew there were many underworld spaceports across the galaxy, but none as tightly guarded as the First Order’s.

The authorities considered they were a powerful cartel, politicians dubbed them a cult while common folks hardly ever heard of their existence. As for the Twi’lek who fancied himself an entrepreneur, they were simply business partners; dangerous, lethal, incredibly rich and powerful business partners. For many years, he had coveted the right to install one of these chips, the difference between life and death when approaching one of their secret landing sites. However, being chosen by the First Order came at a great cost whether it be credits or personal relationships. Why he was risking it all today for a human girl was beyond him.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked her. “There is no turning back once we’re in space.”

“I’m ready when you are,” she responded, placing her staff alongside the rough spun bag she was carrying inside the crate. He hoped she had packed a blaster at least, or she wouldn’t last long in First Order territory.

“You should remove that cloak. I don’t want you to get all sweaty inside. Sure way to alert customs.”

“I’ll be fine. They won’t know I’m inside. Unless you tell them.”

The way she said that last part paralyzed Teesh. It was not her tone, nor the way she looked at him with her big innocent eyes. It was not how she climbed inside the crate and sat down with her legs under her. It was him. His own guilt flashing before his eyes in big bold letters. The things he had done to obtain that damn ID chip. She knew. All of it. She didn’t judge him; he was already doing that job on his own.

Whoever she was, whatever her plan was, if the First Order ever discovered he had smuggled her aboard his ship, he was as good as rathtar’s bait. Maybe she had approached him because he wanted to die. He wanted to atone. She could sense it.

He closed the lid, taking a last peek at the traveler. With her eyes closed and a thin, almost imperceptible, smile on her lips, she looked serene.


	4. Ben's thirteenth birthday

_ _

 

_ Peace is a lie.  _ Senator Organa Solo was reminded of this naked truth everyday. Despite the fall of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic, conflicts and wars still happened on varying scales across the galaxy. In this condition, it never came as a surprise when her assistant barged into whichever room she was in at odd hours to whisper in her ear about an urgent communication from the Senate. However, this time, the distraught look on her face shocked even her husband. 

 

“Where is mother going?” Ben asked, filling his plate for the second time in a row.

Han Solo shrugged. “Saving the galaxy probably.”

 

Upon reaching her office Leia locked the door from the inside, a precaution she rarely took. Usually no business was important enough that she had to barricade herself. She was a warrior through and through, having fought many battles in her lifetime, prepared to fight many more. It was not in her nature to shy away from challenges. But this time every fiber in her body tingled; she was not ready for this call. She paced a few minutes, trying to summon the courage to dial the communication code. As soon as she pressed the last key, the silhouette of a man wrapped in a cloak appeared above the holoprojector. It had been so long since they last spoke face to face she barely recognized him. He had aged, not unlike her, no longer the moisture farm boy who had come to her rescue almost seventeen years ago.

 

“I got your message, Luke. What do you want?” In the past her icy tone had defeated countless interlocutors; she hoped it would deter the man of demanding a sacrifice she was not ready to make.

 

Because they were so far apart, the quality of the signal was poor and the response came muffled. “Good to see you too, Leia. I believe you  _ know _ why I am calling,” her brother responded in an almost pained voice. “Tomorrow, Ben turns thirteen. It’s time to tell him the truth.” 

 

Leia exhaled sharply. Her worst fears were shaping before her eyes. 

He continued. “Send him for training. Perhaps it’s not too late.”

 

She shot an anguished look. “I appreciate your concern Luke, but there’s nothing wrong with Ben. He’s a good boy. I will not send him away.”

 

“You cannot deny the truth, Leia. I sensed the boy in the Force. He’s experimenting, testing his powers. He doesn’t understand where it comes from, he fears it but he’s also drawn to it. You feel him too.”

 

“Of course I feel him. He’s my son!” She responded, her temper rising up. “He takes after his father and I. I was never trained in the Force, and I’m all the better for it!” 

 

“Leia…” the Jedi sounded hurt. “Hiding the boy and denying his true nature is what will lead him to the Dark side.” 

 

“You’re wrong!” she erupted. “Filing his head with all this mumbo jumbo nonsense is how he’ll fall! That prophecy of yours, my enemies will use it against me, against Ben! Three years! Three years is all he needs. Once his sixteenth birthday is over, you can tell him all about the Force and the Jedi. But for now, leave my son alone! He can’t be hurt by what he doesn’t know! What he never heard of. We are taking all the precautions necessary. No one has ever pronounced the word Force in his presence. I intend it to stay that way.”

 

The holographic silhouette flickered as if a power surge disrupted the holoprojector. 

 

A heavy sigh escaped Luke’s lips. “He’s your son. It is your decision. But remember, I’ll be here if you need me. Always. May the Force be with you, sister.”

 

“Thank you,” she all but whispered. “May the Force be with you too, brother.”

 

As soon as the projection disappeared, Leia opened a small cabinet in a panel in the wall and grabbed a glass flagon. A gift from the ambassador of a small planet in the Outer Rim, if she recalled correctly. Whatever it was called it was a strong liquor; exactly what she needed right now. She poured two large fingers of the green, almost fluorescent, liquid and sat at her desk with the air of someone who just lost a war.


	5. The Awakening - Part 1

 

Rey hated violence, but beating up that bunch of lowlife thugs had proven useful. The information extracted from the lieutenant’s datapad had led her directly to the clearing and there it was, waiting for her in the middle of the jungle: the Corellian YT-1300 light freighter Unkar Plutt had commanded her to retrieve. If they hadn’t tried to mug her as soon as she had stepped out of the spaceport, she may not have found the ship so quickly. She may look weak but she knew how to take care of herself. A lesson many learned too late, when the end of her staff met with their nose or ribs with a sickening crack.

Before rushing to her objective, Rey took the precaution of scouting the area. On Bestal Three, the trees stood almost as tall as some of the buildings on Coruscant. Never before had she seen such a lush environment; it was inhabited by so many species of mammal and birds, the sounds of their calling and chirping was almost as overwhelming as the voices of the crowd on the Capital planet. From what she observed, the First Order posted no guards in the forest, not even a sentinel droid.

 

_ Looks like they’re not expecting anyone to steal back that garbage, _ she thought.  _ They probably think no one is crazy enough to try. That... or they don’t care. _

Ever since the blobfish had summoned her a few weeks ago, Rey had a bad feeling about this mission. Until now, not even the Crolute expressed an interest in that dusty old freighter and for as long as she remembered, it sat unused and unloved, hidden under a tarp. 

 

 _Dumped on Jakku._ _Just like me. But you got lucky, about three months ago, someone came back for you._

 

Unkar Plutt was furious after the theft. As he spoke to her in his secure bunker, his bloated body was rippling with so much anger she worried he would eventually implode from the pressure. The idea of being covered with the blobfish’s skin and sweat and flesh turned her stomach on several occasions and it took a great deal of self restraint for Rey not to retch. But scavengers of Jakku had more to fear than Unkar Plutt’s lack of personal hygiene: everyone knew that when his temper rose, the number of portions he traded decreased. The three months it took to find information took its toll on every member of the community surviving around Niima Outpost.

 

It was unusual for him to spend so many credits on such an errand, but from what Rey observed during this period, Unkar’s pride and greed had grown tenfold since she met him. It wasn’t until two mercenaries mentioned the First Order that they had a serious lead. Rey had only heard rumors about them, stories shared around the polishing station, the distorted words of spacers on their way home. To say they were a secretive organisation was an understatement.

 

For the first time Unkar had offered her a fair deal. “I have information about your family.”

 

She had nearly fainted and for once it was not because of the stench. 

 

“Bring back my ship and I’ll tell you everything.”

 

The chances he would honor his terms of the bargain were as slim as her frame after months of rationing her portions, yet she was definitely in no position to turn down such an offer. The junk dealer  was not only promising details about her parents’ whereabouts, but also offering to send her offworld! As proof, he had thrown a package at her feet that contained a brand new outfit. It was comprised of a tunic, a pair of trousers and a cloak, all in shades of beige. 

 

When she tried them on in her broken AT-AT walker shelter later that day, she regretted not scavenging a mirror for the first time. Rey had never owned new clothes before.The material felt so soft under her fingertips that she fell asleep stroking it as if it was the most precious thing she had ever touched.

The dreams started that night. 

 

Several times before she left for Coruscant Rey woke up, heart racing and body longing for pleasures she had only heard of in passing and never experienced herself. She did not remember much, but what permeated from the haze and confusion of her sleeping state was the memory of a man. He was wearing a crown made of vine leaves and emerald grapes, his face half shrouded behind a wooden mask of beautiful craftsmanship carved to resemble a demon with horns on top of its head. 

‘ _ An expression of both sadness and madness captured by the artist for all eternity’  _ she thought.

The man’s mouth and jaw were not concealed, and as he spoke words unknown to her, she could not help but follow the mesmerizing movement of his full lips. They looked like ripe fruits she wanted to harvest and feast upon for all eternity, leaving her chest heaving at the prospect of biting into it.

But every time she tried to get closer the man escaped, and more than once she had to chase him down empty the corridors of an abandoned villa or the dark bowels of fallen starships, running further and further away from the light. Unless he was the hunter? Luring her deeper inside his world like an Urnsor’is spider to devour her flesh.

Every time Rey believed she had cornered him, he would disappear and reappear behind her, his long strides carrying him far away from her once more.

On the last night she changed her tactics.

 

“Why are you hiding?” She shouted, out of breath and tired by the chase.

 

“Because you’re too bright.” A voice echoed from nowhere.

 

“I want to see you,” Rey pleaded. “Let me see you. Just once.”  

Drawn to her words the man materialized before her, tall and somber. His pale skin clashing against the darkness.  

“Remove it,” Rey ordered, pointing at his disguise.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I need to know.”

 

Against all odds his hand moved slowly, reaching for the mask.

Rey gasped at the sight. “I know you!”

 

Taking a step closer the man shook his head. “No you don’t, but you will. In time.”

 

The contact of his knuckles under her chin provoked goosebumps to appear on her skin.

 

“You’re cold.” He commented in a low voice. “Let me be your fire and you will never be hungry or scared anymore. No one will ever looked down on you ever again. Will you let me?”

 

Her eyes flung open before she could answer.

 

Over the years her dreams were becoming stranger. Sometimes, she even longed for insomnia. Not sleeping at all was better than dreaming of her family dying or a scavenger getting his head blown-off by a booby trap.

She shook her head to regain focus and concentrate on the present. Despite the apparent lack of obstacle, her gut feelings warned her not to feel complacent. Something-- or someone-- was watching her. 

 

When she approached the ship, her hands gripped tighter at her staff, ready to defend herself. A part of her still wondered why the First Order, after taking so many risks stealing this garbage from Unkar’s Plutt meaty hands, let it rot in the middle of nowhere. They must have had a better reason than collecting antiques. Yet, if the rusty ship had any real value, they would have guarded it better. Unless they assumed the rival gang had neither the resources nor the will to retrieve the stolen possession. If this was the case, they underestimated Unkar Plutt’s desire to reassert his power over the population of Jakku.

The entrance hatch was open, another detail that did not add up. She drew a long breath, trying to sharpen her senses. For some reason, she could  _ sense _ things. This was one of the many reasons why Unkar treated her better than most of his underlings and why he had paid thugs to offer Rey a semblance of protection over the years. Not that this gift of hers was useful. Avoiding predators and finding better salvage did not help put more food in her stomach; she received as much portions as anyone else-- sometimes a little less; especially when she was in a cheeky mood and pissed him off, which happened more often than not. All the extra money from the scavenge went into the blobfish’s pocket. 

 

Without thinking about it her right hand flew to the choker around her neck. It was a simple wire with a single metallic bead attached to it; so easy to mistake for a necklace. The truth was grimmer. It was a tracking device made of duracord, a material retrieved from an Imperial destroyer, unbreakable if you did not use the right tools. Nested inside the bead was a micro bomb.

“If you try to cross me, girl, heads will roll. Yours first,” the blobfish had warned her when sealing the clasp around her neck. Truth to be told, Rey doubted Unkar had the guts to execute her if she failed or fled but considering his erratic behavior in the past few months she was not suicidal enough to find out how serious his threats were.

A prick at the back of her neck informed her that someone was aboard the ship. She climbed the entry ramp with precaution, trying to make as little noise as possible. Onboard, all lights were off, leaving only the natural light coming through the hatch and the transparisteel viewport to navigate. On sunny, scorching Jakku, it was never a problem, but on Bestal Three the jungle canopy blocked almost all rays of light and the ship was close to pitch black. Lucky for her, she had visited the Millennium Falcon more than once when it was still sitting under a tarp on Unkar’s improvised tarmac and she had memorized its main features. She walked a few steps.

 

_ Easy. _

 

On her left was the ladder to the gun well. Her right, a bulkhead door leading to the cockpit and the main lounge that was further down the corridor. Under any other circumstances, she would have run straight to the pilot seat to wake up this sleepy beast and take off without delay but her instincts dictated to inspect the ship thoroughly before clearing out. 

 

She spent long minutes looking for any sign of a passenger. Whoever was hiding seemed to be testing her-- toying with her.

 

 _Let’s see,_ she thought. _If_ _it’s a game, let me entertain you._

 

Perhaps it was her pugnacity or her natural desire to understand the world that pushed her to explore the bowels of the ship without fear. Some may even have called her reckless for doing so.

“Hah!” She exclaimed while opening a cupboard. She wanted her stalker to lower their defense, think she was looking for an animal, perhaps. She repeated these actions several times, pretending to open doors to empty compartments or panels, until her skin crawled at the back of her neck. The presence was right behind her, hiding in the darkest corner of the repair bay.

_ There! Got you! _

Before the intruder had a chance to jump on her, she pivoted swiftly on her feet and aimed for the head. Usually her staff met a mix of skin and bones, but this time the surface she hit was hard as durasteel and the skin on her cheek was sizzling from the heat of a fiery blade drawn dangerously close to her face.

“Well done,” a mechanical voice congratulated her.  From where she stood, the black glass mask reflected her shocked expression. 

“Who are you?” Rey asked, trying to sound as collected as possible although her heart had never beaten so hard in her life. 

“I should be the one asking you that question,” the stranger replied with a hint of sarcasm before adopting a more matter-of-fact tone.“This ship belongs to me. Therefore, you are a trespasser.” 

 

Before she even considered the best course of action Rey spat back. “You are mistaken. This ship belongs to Unkar Plutt, king of Jakku, appointed by the great Hutt Niima herself!”

More than once, she had observed that lies told with enough confidence often pass as truth; especially when your interlocutor had no clue about what you were referring to. 

The man stepped away from her before turning off his blade, and laughed. At the same instant all lights turned on aboard the ship forcing Rey to wait a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, before sneaking a glance in his direction. They stood there several minutes observing one another. Although he was covered from tip to toe, his body language revealed plenty of information. 

 

He was tall with broad shoulders. A warrior's body, Rey noted. The way he moved betrayed a certain apathy toward the world. There was something horrible in his almost inhuman laugh filtered by the voice modulator, something mad; but also a hint of sadness.

 

Confused and intrigued, Rey finally lowered her staff. “You didn’t answer my question. Who are you?” she asked, more insistent this time. Pointing at the weapon he had clipped back to his belt, she added, “Are you a Jedi?” 

 

He burst into laughter again, more heartily this time.

 

“No, I’m no Jedi.”

 

The glow on her face disappeared, her hopes of finally meeting a legend trampled by the revelation.

 

“I heard only Jedi carried lightsabers,” she shot back. She might be ignorant, but she was not going to be intimidated. 

 

The man behind the mask tilted his head and moved towards her with his right hand extended. For a fraction of second, she thought he would brush her cheek, but he lowered his hand right as she was about to dodge the contact. Did he read her mind? Impossible!

“I have no quarrel with you. My task is to bring back this ship to its rightful owner,” she added in a gesture of peace-making. Even though she was confident in her fighting skills, a staff and some misguided confidence was no match against such a powerful foe.

 

Hoping the man would let her go, Rey stepped back, then turned on her heels and headed towards the cockpit.

 

_ Display no fear, _ she was thinking until her limbs went hard as rock.

“I do not wish to fight you either. But I will not let you take this ship away from me,” the modulated voice growled behind her. 

 

The man in the mask closed the distance between them as she tried her best to fight the paralysis. It was no use. Whoever-- or whatever-- he was, he was strong. Suddenly her blood was rushing through her veins; not in fear, but in excitement.

 

In all her years of fighting for either her life, a few more portions, or to keep her sanity, she had never come across an adversary worth the name. 

As he stood behind her, close enough to whisper in her ear, the heat radiating from his body warmed her own in a way she had never experienced. 

“Let’s play a game,” he said, like a powerful beast toying with its prey. “If you win, you take this ship back to this boss of yours. If I win... I’ll claim what is mine.”

 

Being no fool Rey could see right through his mind game. He was trying to gain the upper hand before the game even started, convince her that she was vulnerable. How naïve of him, she thought. Without a doubt he looked like a worthy opponent and she was prepared to lose, but there was nothing she craved more than challenges. Jakku was a boring place with boring people. The blobfish profited from her situation, knowing she waited for her family to come back. If that backwater world had failed to break her spirit, a scared man hiding from his own humanity behind a mask stood no chance.

Her muscles relaxed as soon as he released her from her prison.

“What game do you have in mind?” Her eyes darted to him like daggers. He had awakened a fire inside her she had no desire to extinguish.

 

Pointing at a hologram board with his gloved index finger, he responded. “Dejarik.”

“Dejarik?” She parroted, bewildered. “You want to bet the ship on a stupid game of Dejarik?”

 

Maybe he was mad after all.

 

“I admire your confidence, girl...”

 

Before he could continue, she interrupted him. If there was one thing she hated most, it was to be called “girl”. Plutt had that despicable habit. One she intended some day to make him pay for it.

 

“I have a name. It’s Rey.”

 

“Rey,” he repeated, like the simple syllable tasted like honey on the tip of his tongue. She could detect his grin behind the mask.

 

“What shall I call you?” she asked.

 

“My family calls me Ren. Kylo Ren.”

 

Undeterred she strode to sat on the lounge seat and turned the holoboard on.


	6. Ben’s sixteenth birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, the chapter were the proverbial poodoo hits the proverbial fan. ༼ ಥ_ಥ ༽

 

When Ben woke, the dark still reigned outside, the full moon providing the only source of light in his room.The Villa sounded quieter than usual. It was that time of the night where even the birds and bats in the trees nested.

 

He extended his arm to the left; Domeris was gone. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the feeling of her skin against his, of her mouth on his sex. Perhaps he had dreamt it all. Some of his dreams were more vivid than others, and sometimes he had difficulty telling the reality from the visions. He flipped on his side and inhaled sharply. The pillow still smelled of her lotion, proof he was not mad. If only he had known before what comfort shared body heat provided, he would have sought this kind of distraction earlier.

 

She was his first love; so different from him, radiant, smiling, always happy. Numerous times he had begged her to call him Ben, yet she insisted calling him Master like the rest of the employees. Since she had entered his service -- or the service of the Senator more precisely-- he was less withdrawn, more open about his feelings. From the start, she was kind to him, warm and never afraid of showing affection. It had not taken long before he shared some of his secrets, showing her where to hide from prying eyes, how to sneak into the kitchen or his mother’s office. They only had eight months to enjoy each other’s company, and he did not want to waste any minute of it.

 

Whenever the weather allowed, they took the safe route to the roof where they spent nights stargazing and dreaming of the many worlds beyond the walls. Ben was turning sixteen today, and his parents had promised he would finally accompany them in their travels.

 

With a wide grin, his mother even had promised a surprise for tonight, _a special guest_. Apparently, someone close to her was coming from far away to meet him. Even his father had refused an invitation to an important series of pod races. Today would be such a special day for Ben.

 

He looked at the starry sky. Fresh air would do him some good. He grabbed a pair of  trousers, made from a material so light he might as well have been naked, and opened the window. Thanks to his recent growth spurt, he jumped from the ledge onto the roof with ease. From there he moved silently, making himself invisible, the way he had trained. Before Domeris, he had few distractions and lots of time to experiment. Perhaps one day he would demonstrate all the unusual things he could do, but in the meantime he tried not to compromise his chances to be set free.

 

He stopped when he heard a voice murmuring. It was Domeris. Perhaps she too had trouble sleeping? He smiled with anticipation and approached in silence, ready to shower her with kisses.

 

As he got closer, he glimpsed something out of the ordinary. In her open palm rested a miniature holocomm. From this angle, all he could see was the hologram of a hooded figure.

 

“Have you retrieved the weapon?”

 

“Not yet, Master. However, I have received confirmation it is hidden in the tree trunk as you instructed.”

 

“Good, the plan is in motion then. Was the boy any trouble?”

 

“Not at all, I made sure no one saw him all evening. He will not suspect my implication.”

 

“I have no doubt he’s infatuated with you by now.”

 

A cruel smile appeared on her face. “You taught me well, Master. If we can’t blame the Jedi for the death of the Senator, the blame can shift to the son. I have recorded some of our conversations and altered them. It sounds as if he resented his mother for hiding the truth.”  

 

“You went well above and beyond. You will receive your just reward once the operation is complete.”

 

Stunned by this revelation, Ben remained hidden in the shadows, his head spinning, blood rushing to his ears. He had been betrayed. But more importantly, they were plotting to assassinate his mother. How could any of this be happening and what was he supposed to do?

 

He waited for Domeris to leave and followed her. That is when the truth hit him; she was a different person from the one he loved. The way she walked, the way she talked, everything was a lie. A clever deception. How could he have been so naïve? The smiles, her fingers brushing his in the corridors. For months, she had planned this. She lied to him. And what was this truth she mentioned that his mother supposedly hidden from him? Not only had she toyed with his feelings, but she would murder his mother and frame him.

 

As she snuck out of the gardens, the sun started to peek over the horizon. Dawn was coming and soon everyone in the house would wake. He saw her stop by the south wall, opposite the main living quarters. From a bag, she retrieved an odd looking weapon that resembled a blaster, except it shot a hook in the air with a duracable rope attached to its head. She tested the line, then climbed and disappeared in the jungle.

 

Ben inhaled sharply. Should he alert the droids? He knew he wanted to protect his family above all, but she had betrayed him, violated his trust. A part of him wanted revenge. From what he had observed, she was a highly trained spy, but he had an advantage: surprise. As he climbed the wall, stepping outside of the Villa for the first time, rage was boiling inside his veins, a powerful and intoxicating energy swirling within him, calling to him.

 

The jungle was thick, and he quickly rued leaving shirtless and shoeless. The soil was muddy after the heavy rains that fell during this season and bugs feasted on his sweaty naked flesh.

 

Domeris was walking a few paces in front him, oblivious he was trailing her. The spy halted when she reached a tree. Its trunk was split in two, burnt by a lighting strike. He observed her plunge the hand inside the hollowed husk and retrieve a small packet. From where he stood it looked like a wooden box with no markings. The lid creaked when opened and Domeris smiled at the content wrapped in a red cloth.

 

His mind raced. If he wanted to confront her, he needed to act quick but attacking here was far too dangerous. He was still debating when the sound of a small shuttle roared in the night.

 

“Kriff!” Domeris exclaimed under her breath, “he’s early.”

 

With the small packet secured inside her bag, she darted back to the Villa, Ben still on her tail. In the distance, a small ship slowly descended towards the landing bay. By now his parents would be awake, waiting for whoever their guest was to come out of the shuttle.

 

 _I need to catch her as soon as she’s on the other side_.

 

Domeris nimbly escalated the duracable rope and jumped back inside the garden. Until now, Ben had never fantasized about being able to stay invisible for such a long period. Imbued with this new knowledge, the idea he held such a powerful force inside him, he took his chance before it was too late.

 

“Domeris!” he called. “If that is your real name.”

 

The woman stopped dead in her tracks. She kept her back turned to him as he stepped forward.  “Master Ben.” It sounded as much as a question as a reproach. “Why are you not in bed? You must rest.”

 

“Not when a treacherous leech is planning on assassinating my mother,” he responded, his ire barely contained.

 She turned slowly, and her mouth gaped open.

 

“I have no idea how you could know about that, but if you think that you can stop me, you’re mistaken. If I can’t blame you for the assassination, I’ll come up with another plan.” Her voice sounded nothing like the sweet loving tune she had sung in his ears for several months. It was cruel, uncaring and harsh.

 

“Give me that box!” He ordered.

 

“Ho, if it’s the box you want. Be my guest!”

 

As she spoke, the wooden casket flew in his direction. By instinct he raised his arm in a protective gesture but instead of hitting him like he expected, the box bounced against an invisible wall. What had been contained inside was now in her hand. He could not identify what it was straight away. It was a shaft of some sort, a weird looking tube with two vents on both side. Without thinking about it, Ben leapt on Domeris, trying to grab whatever this was before she could use its power. Although he was much taller and muscular than her, she was trained and experienced and it was a fierce struggle.

 

“You womp rat! I won’t let you go away with this,” she said. “If I have to kill you, I will!”

 

“How could you betray me and my family?” he was screaming now.

 

“You spoiled rotten bastard! Enjoying the good life in your Villa, whining about how your mum and dad are always away. At least, you still have a family! Not like me! Not like thousands of kids whose parents perished on the Death Star.”

 

Ben’s eyes widen up with shock and he almost loosened his grip. Sensing his hesitation Domeris kicked him hard in the chest and he stumbled on his back. Then she noticed the commotion around the Villa. People were coming their way.

 

“Malachor take you!” she hissed at Ben, before screaming at the top of her lungs.

 

“Master Ben! Why are you doing this?”  

 

He scrambled on his feet, trying to grab her hands but it was too late; she had already placed the metallic object against her thorax and with no warning, she pushed on a button and a red blade pierced through her body like she was a mere rag doll. First her body fell to her knee, then forward to the ground. Under the shock Ben hands were still stuck in the air, gripping at the metallic object.

 

“Ben! Ben!” he could hear his mother’s alarmed cries.   People were rushing towards him but his ears were ringing and his stomach turning.

 

His mother was getting close. He was safe. He would explain what happened and she would understand. He only wanted to protect his family. To protect her. He never thought Domeris would be desperate enough to take her own life.

 

He looked up and opened his mouth. “Mother,” he wanted to say but no audible sound came out. His mother stopped running as soon as she noticed the body on the ground.

 

“Leia!” A man Ben had never seen before joined her, grabbing her at the shoulders to prevent her to rush forward. The man was about her age, his face eaten by a scrubby looking beard.

 

“It can’t be.” his mother kept saying while looking at him. “It can’t be!”

 

“Ben, drop the lightsaber!” the man shouted in his direction.

 

Who was he to bark orders? Nothing about him was familiar yet Ben sensed something, an energy passing between the two of them, a recognition. As the man shielded Leia with his body, pretending she was in danger, Ben noticed it - A metallic object in his hand. The man had detached it from a hook at his belt, hidden under his cloak.

 

A cloak! Ben suddenly realized. Like the one the figure over the holocomm was wearing.

 

“Don’t come near me!” Ben shouted.

 

“Ben!” His mother pleaded.”What have you done?”

 

“Nothing!” he screamed as he was getting back on his feet.

 

“Drop your weapon. We can talk about this.”

 

The words spoken by the man rung at his ears, lingering longer than they ought to. Not forceful enough to break him though.

 

“You? You planned this?” Ben eventually asked, “You were planning on killing my mother!”

 

“Ben! This is my brother! Your uncle! Luke Skywalker.”

 

The revelation washed over him like waves crashing on the rocks. “I don’t have an uncle. It’s a lie. Why is everyone lying?”

 

“It’s the Dark side talking, Ben,” the man his mother had called brother explained.

 

“The Dark side?” he repeated. What was all this nonsense?

 

“The power inside you. It has a name.”

 

“The power inside me? You know?” Ben turned to his mother, his voice breaking into tears. “You knew?”

 

“I’m your mother. I always knew. That’s why I tried to keep you safe,” she continued, her tone tender. “I’m sorry I failed.”

 

Confused and dazzled Ben walked a few steps forward in their direction.

 

“Do not come closer,” his uncle growled as he ignited his own blade-- So similar to the weapon that killed Domeris yet so different, its hue blue and crackling with a strange power.

 

“Luke? What are you doing?”

 

“We can’t take any chance, sister.”

 

“Step away from my mother,” Ben roared. Why should he trust him? He knew nothing about this man. Then it hit him. Did he know his own mother? His father? These people who had sworn to protect him, to love him, they had lied, trapped, confined him, denied his true nature.

 

Every single one of them.

 

 _Run,_ a voice suddenly spoke inside his head. _Run and never turn back._

 

The rope was still hanging on the wall behind him. Before they could react, he ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bye-bye Ben-Ben ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡


	7. The Awakening - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dejarik!

 

The holo piece of the Monnok raised its bulky looking staff high above the Mantellian savrip’s head. When it hit, the projection flickered and disappeared.

 

“How did you find this ship?”

 

The man in the mask remained silent for long stretches of time, only asking questions after he had played his move. Rey snickered. On the holo board, only a few pieces remained and the result was still uncertain, something she could not allow. Losing was not an option. 

 

“I’m not here to answer your questions. I have a ship to win.”

 

“Such animosity.” His mechanical voice hardly concealed his sarcasm. “Don’t they teach you manners where you come from? We never met, yet you treat me like an enemy.” 

 

“Why should I trust a creature in a mask?” she responded, defiantly. A part of her believed she should be more cautious around this man. He was obviously dangerous, yet she felt a strange connection; an energy surrounding the both of them that made her strangely at ease. She knew he would not attack without provocation. If he truly had wanted to kill her, he would have done it already.

 

“Very well,” he responded almost pleasantly. “I will answer your questions, if you answer mine.” 

 

Her eyes lightened up at the offer. 

 

“I suppose that will work,” she responded, unsure if the man was trying to be civil or if he was trying to buy some time. Truth to be told, Rey did not want the game to end either, but her feelings were not part of the equation.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

“I told you already. I’m from Jakku.”

 

“What do you do there?”

 

“Hey, you can’t ask more than one question at a time.” 

 

“Can’t I? When did we agree to take turns?”

 

She stiffened under the remark. He had a point, and she started to regret engaging in this battle with him.

 

“Why do you ask such simple questions?” she asked, trying to regain some ground.

 

“I only ask simple questions to simple people.” 

 

If he meant it as an insult, he was not in luck. Rey was not ashamed of who she was or where she came from. “I’m a scavenger.” 

 

His tone shifted. “A scavenger?” he repeated, like he never heard that word before. “How did you detect me earlier?” 

 

“I... I don’t know. I just guessed where you were.”

 

“Guessed?” 

 

She pictured his brow furrowing under the mask. “Yes, I don’t know. I just…” She was struggling to find her words. There were so many things she had never spoken of with anybody else. Secrets and whispers at the back of her mind she never truly understood, and this man, hooded and cloaked brought them to the surface of her skin. How?

 

It was not right, it should not be. Most likely he was tricking her. She tried to resist, but the compulsion was too strong. “I just  _ knew _ , all right!” Her tone was almost shameful now that her secret was out.

 

The man stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to find the right words.

 

“This power,” he started. “Don’t be afraid of it.”

 

As he pronounced this, she saw his hands flying to the clasps of his helmet. The apparatus opened with a hissing sound revealing the person inside the creature. At the vision Rey’s heart skipped a few beats. She had pictured a warrior’s face, scarred and marked by battles, with eyes as cold as durasteel, but the man who was sitting across her was young, with pale skin and full lips. Once again, a strange energy surfaced at the pit of her stomach. A power old as times that drew them both closer together.

 

He continued, his voice soft and suave now that it was not filtered by the modulator. “I have it too.” He paused again, hoping she would reply. 

 

“You don’t understand what you are, don’t you?  _ Who _ you are!” he declared, like he already knew the answer.

 

The remark snapped her back to reality.

 

“I’m Rey. That’s all I am.” 

 

But the man did not comment further; he was studying her features more intensely than before. His dark gaze was fueled by this power she held inside her.

 

“You don’t have to hide your true nature anymore. You don’t have to make yourself invisible,” she heard his voice echoing inside her head.

 

Stunned, she was unsure how to reply. There was this connection between the two of them. Something she had never experienced before, something powerful, almost dangerous.

 

Words from her dream surfaced.

 

_ “I know you.” _

_ “No you don’t, but you will. In time.” _

 

Magnetized she watched him getting closer, sliding on the lounge seat until their knees were touching. He leaned in closer and all she was able to focus on were his luxurious lips. How many times had she dreamt about biting those lips?

 

“This power. It has a name. I could show you the ways of the Force.” Once again he let the information sunk in before adding in a low voice, “Will you  let me?”

 

Her heart was beating faster than ever and the synapses of her brain were on the verge of melting under the pressure. In her eyes, she was no one, just a scavenger from Jakku, lonely, left behind, discarded like a piece of broken equipment. 

 

He was so close now she could see her own image reflected on his pupils. Unless, it was an illusion? Perhaps it was just another dream, another odd vision? There was only one way to be sure. The way his gaze bore into hers terrified and electrified her at the same time. No one had ever looked directly into her soul before. 

 

She closed her eyes as he raised his hand to brush her cheek. The sensation of his gloved fingers tracing the curve of her face sparked a fire inside her and she leaned in further, allowing him to touch her lips with his own. A brush at first. A touch so light it felt no different than in her dreams but his mouth was soft and warm against hers. Real. Trembling too. 

 

Becoming more confident, she gave into the kiss and grab at the nape of his neck, half expecting to wake up in her fallen AT-AT on forsaken Jakku. Instead, images flooded her mind. Memories they shared and mixed until they could not tell each other apart.

 

_ A little boy running in the empty corridors of a house; too big and too clean for him. A little girl scavenging through dirt; her knobby knees filthy and bruised.  _

 

The energy passing between them grew stronger as the kiss deepened. 

 

_ A teenaged boy longing for his busy mother and distant father. A nubile girl scrubbing scavenge clean, to be presented to an ominous looking figure looming behind the counter. _

 

Her fingers burrowed in his dark curls as his hands crawled underneath her tunic. They lost their individuality, getting deeper and deeper into each other’s memories until they became one. Rey’s world suddenly turned dark, her vision distorted by the visor of the mask, concealing her true nature from the real world, trying not to hurt. Ren was on Jakku, loading pieces of junk in the net of his speeder, with no hope for a better tomorrow.

 

As their minds merged, their bodies responded in kind-- Two loneliness colliding. He took Rey in his arms and sat her on the holo board, their hands fumbling against their clothes, trying to remove every layer that kept them apart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Force made them do it!


	8. Unkar Plutt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interlude with Unkar Plutt.

 

Every morning, when he opened his eyes, Unkar Plutt remembered one thing:  _ Niima Outpost belonged to him _ . The scavengers owed him their lives, without him they would starve; a truth Rey seemed to forget with time passing. So special, little Rey. The best trade of his life. Parents desperate enough to give up their only child in exchange for a ship that would take them off-world.  Little Rey and her weird abilities, her dreams, and her visions. Little Rey, who was no longer a child. 

 

How he had enjoyed the sound of his scavenger dubbing him “King of Jakku.” She was cheeky and arrogant, also clever and resourceful. But so was he, the exile from Crul. The choker was no bomb, it was a recording device. Every six hours it transmitted the conversations his scavenger held. 

 

The stranger had been bold. He was tricksy, and whispered honeyed words into her ear to sway her to his side. How dare he? The scavenger belonged to him!

 

No one stole from Unkar. He was going to teach a lesson to the community of Jakku and beyond. No one would ever steal from him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One word: bellend.


	9. The separation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama!

 

Ren pulled her closer and left a trail of light kisses along her shoulder blade. They were resting, their bodies spent and tangled in the narrow bunk. The sun had set four times since they met, but Rey had lost all notion of time lost in Ren’s warm embrace. They only left the ship to gather fruits and fresh water. 

 

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly while running the tip of his fingers along the curve of her arm, giving her goosebumps. Caresses and kisses were still alien sensations for the lonely scavenger who had never considered her body a recipient for pleasure before.

 

She rolled over to face him. “How did this happen?” She asked, her hazel eyes lingering on his lips, on which a smile was slowly forming. 

 

Before responding Ren took a deep breath, adopting a fake dogmatic tone. “You see, when a man and a woman…” But a blow to his stomach prevented him to continue. “Ouch!” 

 

“Don’t be a goof. You know what I mean.” She looked down, her voice becoming a whisper. “You make me feel weird.”

 

Ren took her chin between his fingers to make her look upwards. “Is it so bad?” he asked, his brow furrowing into a line.

 

“It’s just that I’ve seen  _ who you are _ but I still have no idea  _ what _ you are or even why you’re here.”

 

“I’m with the First Order, if that’s what you’re asking,” he responded without hesitation.

 

“‘I’ve guessed that,” she retorted, placing her head on his chest. The sound of his steady heartbeat was reassuring, proof she was not imagining it all.

 

“As for the rest, you’ve seen more of me than my own family,” he replied.

 

That word again. Every time it was spoken in her presence Ren could detect a tremor in the Force.

 

She stayed silent for a few minutes. 

 

“What brought me -  _ us _ \- here?” 

 

“Things happen for a reason. The Force brought us together.” He responded in a matter of fact tone.

 

“The Force?” She repeated with incredulity. 

 

As the information sunk in, she grew quiet. For a split second she surrendered herself into the comfort of his embrace before stiffening, unhappy with the idea they had no control over their own lives and desires. 

 

Sensing a shift in her mood Ren tried to change the subject. “Where did this happen?” he asked, breaking the silence and pointing at a bruise on her knee.

 

“I was attacked near the spaceport. Self-defense.” 

 

He slithered down the bed to kiss the spot gently, a gesture she remembered a mother doing to her child outside Niima Outpost; the boy had fallen on all four and started crying, he was inconsolable until his mum had kissed his knees better. She had always wondered if love and tenderness could really help bruises heal faster than bacta patch. It certainly sounded like an absurd notion.

 

“I’m sure you took great pleasure beating up thugs.” 

 

She turned around and looked at him. “How can you tell it was more than one?”

 

A smile lit up his face. “A single man would not have been able to touch you, let alone leave a mark.”

 

“Oh,” she replied, bringing her lips close to his but not enough to kiss him. “I like the way you think.” When one of them seemed too exhausted, unable to continue, the other always found a way to awaken the desire brewing inside. A part of her wanted the oblivion that came with the bliss of hands and lips on her body, even though deep down she knew it was a mistake, only a singular event soon to come to an end. 

 

He ran his thumb on a small scar on her right cheek. “This one?” Her fingers joined his as she tried to remember.

 

“I’m not sure. It was a long time ago. I should ask Unkar when I go back to Jakku,"

 

He jolted. “Jakku?”

 

That was not the reaction she expected. “Yes, that’s where we’re bringing the ship."

 

Ren stiffened in her arms. “What do you mean bring back the ship?” he asked, visibly shocked by her remark.

 

Rey furrowed her brow. “I have to go back before...”

Ren cut her off, jumping off the cot and a cold shiver ran through her body; not because it was suddenly deprived of the warmth of their shared heat but because of the mad glint that appeared in his eyes.

“Did you plan all of that?” he asked, raising his voice. 

 

“What do you mean?” She replied in a manner to let him know she was not intimidated by his sudden agitation. Ripples of dark energy rippled from his body. “My plan?”

 

“ _ Seducing me _ so I would lower my guard.”

 

Blood started boiling in her veins, the energy clustering in the pit of her stomach evolving into a whirlpool of emotions she had never experienced before: treason, jealousy, fear. They were not hers. Not all of them at least.

 

“Seducing you?” She burst out laughing. “I did not  _ seduce you _ , you’re the one who jumped on me. What are you even talking about?” There was a cruelty in her tone that surprised both of them.

 

“You just said it yourself! You’re planning on leaving.”

 

“Of course I’m leaving! I’ve been given a mission” She got up, gathering her clothes lying discarded on the ground. Behind her Ren paced like a beast trapped in a cage too small for his large frame.

 

“We didn’t finish our game! You have no right to claim this ship.” he bursted out.

 

“You should have thought about that before putting your tongue in my mouth. I was about to win! That’s why you tried to distract me with your...” Rey was losing her words. “Your fluffy hair and your pout!”

 

He grabbed her by the arm. “You’re not leaving me!” What he really meant was that he needed her, he wanted her at his side, but the words came out wrong.

 

“Don’t you dare,” she growled. Memories of the meaty sweaty hand of Unkar Plutt clutching at her frail arm inundated her brain. Things had changed. She was no longer a small girl, tears streaming down her face, throat burning from screaming.

The whirlpool of anger repressed for far too long twirled and swirled from deep down within her body, transforming into a force she could no longer contain.


	10. The bounty hunters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to wrap up this story :)

 

“We have to get Ren out of here!”

 

Hux was struggling with the valve connected to the flush pipe of the bacta tank. No matter how hard he tried, it refused to budge. The man who had barged into the medlab mere seconds after the alarms went off, alerting that the facility was under attack, screamed back at him.  “We don’t have time for that! Leave him where he is. He’ll be fine. You need to go. Now!”

With the determined look of a soldier who had faced many battles, Phasma intervened. 

“No. We stay here and we defend the Knight if necessary.” 

 

“Fine. I see that you’re both insane.” The man raised his gun to her face. “Change of plans then. Hand over your blasters, Blondie.”

 

Hux shrieked. “What are you doing?” 

 

Phasma assessed the situation. The man would have shot them already if he really wanted them dead, and she was curious as to what his plans were. “Fine. Here they are,” she said handing over her weapons.

 

“Thank you,” the man responded with an almost devilishly charming smile while pocketing her holster. If she did not know better, she would thought he was flirting with her. 

 

“What do you want then? Who sent you?” she asked.

 

“The name of my employer is none of your business. As for what I want, some time in the fresher would be a good start. I don’t know how you survive on this planet. It’s stuffy in here.”   Phasma stared disapprovingly in response. It was one thing to be under attack but to suffer chit-chat and jokes was entirely different.

 

“Since you’re stuck with me now, please give a hand to the ginger. What I came to collect is in this tank.”

 

“Will you release us afterwards?” Hux inquired.

 

“I’m afraid not. Both of you are wanted criminals. You were not part of the contract, but I’m fairly sure I can collect some extra credit for your heads.”

 

“A bounty hunter,” Phasma spat, not trying to hide her contempt. 

 

“Listen darling, a man has to do what he has to do to feed his family. But since we’re all going to become buddies, you can call me Poe.” 

 

With their combined force, the valve finally turned. The tank slowly flushed of its content. 

Hux watched his friend slowly sinking down inside the tube. “Will he be alright?” he asked. “He hasn’t been there long enough.”

 

Poe raised his brow. For all the stories he had heard about the First Order, these two certainly seemed different than what he had expected. 

 

“He’ll be fine for where he’s going, don’t you worry.”

 

Poe waited for the antiseptic to be completely flushed out before grabbing a cover from one of the nearby shelves.

 

“Now take him out and wrap him in that.” he added. 

 

Phasma caught it, her eyes full of spite. “Where are we going?”

 

“Not somewhere I’d like to be stranded,” Poe responded idly.

 

The bounty hunter waited a few minutes they finished unplugging Ren. The machines beeped madly, their programs alerting something was wrong with the patient while outside the sound of explosions and blasters had stopped. 

 

“We should be good to go. Put him on that stretcher and follow me.”

 

The corridors were dark except for the red lights marking out the exits. When they finally reached the central elevator Poe waved them in. “After you.” 

 

In only a few minutes, they would reach the surface. Phasma shared a conspiratorial glance with Hux. For all his anxiety and nervousness, he was a fine strategist.  _ Don’t do anything foolish, _ he seemed to tell her.  _ Let’s see where he’ll take us.  _

 

When the cabin stopped, the doors opened to a floor full of bodies on the ground. Phasma gasped at the sight.

 

“Mind your step.” Poe winked at her. “Don’t worry, they’re not dead. We may be bounty hunters, but we’re  _ nice _ bounty hunters.”

 

She grunted her displeasure. 

 

“We’re almost there.” 

 

The door of the hangar opened up with a screeching noise, and lights blinded the three of them.

 

“We have company?” a man’s voice echoed, followed by the alarmed bleeps and bloops of a droid. “Don’t worry Beebee-ate, I’m sure Poe knows what he’s doing. Right?”

 

In front of the hangar bay, a small shuttle waited. 

 

“It’s just the two of you? How did you get past our defenses?” Hux asked, suddenly very wary that the duo had managed to take down their operation by themselves.

The two bounty hunters grinned.

 

“Let’s just say, we met a friendly Twi’lek who was more than happy to part with his ship.” 

 

“Now let’s load and hit space before they send reinforcements.”


	11. Back on Jakku

_ _

_ Her hands were dirty. Blood was under her nails. The energy had consumed her, chewed Kylo Ren, and spat him out. _

 

Rey woke up screaming, drenched in sweat

 

Looking around she realized she was in her fallen walker although the details of the trip back to Jakku were completely lost to her. Her muscle memory alone must have carried her entirely after Unkar had sent her home with the promise of a surprise.

 

“A gift,” he said. 

 

She was too dazed to object or even beg for the piece of information about her family he had promised as payment. 

 

Her hand crashed on her growling stomach. Hunger she could recognized easily, but this time there was another knot that left her empty and haggard. She needed to eat before traveling to Niima Outpost and claim her reward. Rey crawled to the back of her makeshift home and opened a panel. The green blocks she retrieved looked disgusting and tears came to her eyes before she could even close the door to the secret stash.

 

On Bestal Three, Ren and her had shared meals of fruits they collected from the jungle. Here, wherever she directed her eyes, all she could see was sand, loneliness and misery.

 

Ren was alive, she knew that much. When she closed her eyes, she detected a second heartbeat, fainter than her own, but beating in sync with hers.  _ His heart. _

 

Soon she would need to take a decision. The junk boss had recovered his ship; the other scavengers were safe from his anger and she had nothing left to hope for. Whether he kept his promise or not, Rey would leave Jakku. The real question now was would she look after her family or disappear in Coruscant or another planet of the core where no one knows you or notice you? She had ruined her chances of happiness with Ren when the energy had made her do this terrible thing.

 

She took a deep breath, trying to direct her senses outward and connect with the Force. Four days were not much but Ren had taught her a few tricks (some more delightful than others). 

 

_ Go to Niima Outpost now.  _ It was a voice she had heard before, a distant memory of a different life perhaps. A shiver traversed her body and she tossed away the portions she still held in her hand. Her speeder left a trail of dust in the desert.

 

The first thing she noticed when approaching the settlement was the Fallen Star parked nearby. What was the ship doing on Jakku she wondered. She left her speeder not far from the gate and looked for Teesh, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a young man was cursing on the wing, eyes glued on an open panel. When she approached, a BB-Unit with an orange and white coating ran in front of her, preventing her from getting closer.

 

“I’m not spying!” she responded to the accusative bleeps and bloops of the droid. “I’m looking for the owner of this ship.” 

 

Made aware of her presence, the young man hailed her. “Hey there! I’m Finn, the co-owner. Do you have the parts?” 

 

Rey looked at the stranger. He could not be more than a few years older than her and wore a leather jacket that had seen better days. 

 

“Where is Teesh?” She asked. “That’s his ship,” she added pointing at the wing.

 

The voice of a man appearing behind her replied. “Actually, the ship  _ belonged _ to Teesh. Past tense. Never seen someone so eager to retire. But now I understand. That piece of crap died on us after two days.” 

 

Rey couldn’t believe her ears. 

 

“Now, unless you were sent by the Crolute, I have to ask you to leave. We have repairs to do.”

 

“Did Unkar tell you he’d found the parts for you?” she asked before bursting into laugh when they both nodded.

 “May I?” she enquired, not really waiting for an answer and  jumping on the wing to peak at the open panel, waving the young man out of her way. 

 “The Blobfish is about to sell your own ignition capacitor. He probably had one of his goons snatch it after you landed. Oldest trick in his book.” She pointed at an empty space. “See, it should be there.”

 

“Hah! Told you Poe!!” Finn shouted at his companion, who was observing the scene from below “This couldn’t have been a coincidence!” 

 

“I could help you,” Rey noted. “I can find parts for free on one condition: you take me to Bestal Three once this bird can fly.”

 

At the name of the planet the two bounty hunters exchanged a curious look.

 

“What is it on Bestal Three that has your interest, young lady?” Poe inquired, trying to sound casual enough to avoid raising suspicion.

 

Rey’s glow disappeared. “I made a mistake. I know now what I need to do. I must repair what I’ve broken.”

 

The droid bleeped, suddenly agitated. “Shh, BB-8,” its master tried to stop it to speak further.

 

“Why are you saying that?” Rey asked the droid. “What did you bring back?”

 

The two bounty hunters exchanged a long, thoughtful look before Finn placed his hand on her shoulder. “It seems like we have a lot to talk about.”


	12. The prisoners

 

Deep down underneath the Junkyard, there was a series of tunnels only known to the junk dealer and a select few of his underlings that led to a set of caves, where he kept the stash of portions he traded to the scavengers as well the most valuable parts. This is also where his prisoners were locked behind bars.

 

When Kylo emerged from his drug induced torpor, he was cold, groggy, and disoriented. The ceiling above his head was dark, the only illumination coming from a few old mining bulbs giving an orange hue to everything. Close to him he could hear the familiar voices of Hux and Phasma. 

 

“Careful, Ren. Stay calm. You’re still very weak.”

 

“Where am I?” he managed to ask, his throat parched.

 

“It’s a long story,” responded Phasma. She was more concerned by what had led him to float in a bacta tank than their current predicament. “Do you remember who attacked you?”

 

His expression turned sour at the memory of Rey losing control of her emotions. “Yes.” 

 

“Do you know why they would capture us?” 

 

“No.”

 

It made no sense. Rey had left him, unless it had all been a scheme. He tried to get up and lost balance, unaware he was missing a limb. 

 

Rushing to his side, Hux helped him to get on his feet. “It was severely damaged,” he announced with no emotion, as if he was referring to a piece of broken equipment. 

 

“Sshh.” With a finger placed on her mouth Phasma ordered her companions to silence themselves. Something was coming their way. It was a droid. The same droid who accompanied the bounty hunters. 

  
It carried a packet as well as a message. 


	13. The gift

 

All settlers around the junkyard were invited to gather at dusk for a “commemoration”. In his growing madness, Unkar Plutt had commanded that a platform be constructed in front of his cabin; it was made of panels scavenged from different starships, quickly wielded together in an approximative stage. 

 

The crowd gathered early, all wondering what the Crolute had in mind. The more hopeful of the lot believed he was about to announce his retirement but when Unkar Plutt stepped on the stage with that scornful smile on his inflated face, all conversations died. 

 

“Dear scavengers of Jakku,” he started, his voice amplified by a service droid. “Without me, you’re nothing.” 

 

At these words a ripple of indignation agitated the crowd.

 

“Some of you seem to have forgotten that. Today, I have a special gift for a person that is dear to me. Someone I protected, loved like a father even. Rey!” he called. “Please join me. I have made a promise and I intend to keep it.” 

 

The crowd parted as Rey advanced to the stage with an expression of mild disbelief. Even after all these years the Crolute kept surprising her with his ludicrous tactics. 

 

“Rey. Have I not taken good care of you over the years?” He started. “You wondered many times when your family would come back, haven’t you?” His buoyant skin rippled with excitement as he spoke, unable to contain his malice. “I promised you information, if you retrieved what had been stolen from me and I intend to keep that promise.” 

 

The crowd was silent until his goons encouraged the spectators to cheer, menacing to whack some heads with their sticks.

 

Once on stage, Rey came to stand next to the junk dealer, her face revealing nothing of her true state of mind. Unkar Plutt hold no power over her anymore, she was stronger than she had ever been and would not accept to be used as a tool anymore.

 

“I have good news. Your family...is here,” he announced in a growling voice, gesturing at the crowd before grabbing at her arm the way he did fifteen years ago. 

 

“ _ We are your family! _ ” he howled right in her face. “Don’t you ever forget about it. You belong to us, you belong  _ to me! _ ”

 

He turned to the crowd holding at her wrist, displaying Rey like she was a piece of scavenge. “And so do you vermins!”

 

He then barked an order and Finn and Poe came out from his bunker, escorting three prisoners, their heads covered with bags. 

 

“Here is the thief and his acolytes! The man who thought he could steal my ship and my scavenger!” 

 

The crowd booed, coerced into doing so by Unkar’s thugs. Although Rey was aware of the mad plan Finn and Poe had come up with, the whirlpool of power inside her grew stronger by the minute now that she had a glimpse of Kylo.

 

_ “Rey”, _ she could hear Ren whispering, unless he spoke in her head directly. “ _ Calm down, try to focus.” _

 

It was no use. Unkar removed the hood, revealing a ghastly pale man with ebony hair and her heart stopped beating. The look Ren gave her was not of anger or resentment. It was of compassion, one of deep understanding. He should hate her for what she had done to him, yet he only had a caring expression when looking at her. She stopped trying to squirm her way out of Unkar’s grasp, her anger redirected at the Crolute. How he had discovered her lover and his friends was of no importance in this moment, he had always controlled every aspect of her life anyway, she should not be surprised. But it was the last time. The last time he would give her orders, the last time he would lay a finger on her.

 

Blinded by his madness, the junkyard master did not notice that Rey had grown silent and that the last rays of light were slowly disappearing behind dark clouds. At the ominous signs the crowd parted, panic spreading amongst the scavengers. Storms were rare occurrences on Jakku and many feared them more than Unkar’s anger.

Using the rush of panic Poe and Finn turned their weapons on Unkar, while Hux and Phasma kicked his thugs unconscious, freeing  themselves in the process. Only when the heavy rain began to fall onto his head that Unkar did come back to his senses and realised his plan had failed and that he was now in a precarious position.

 

“Rey! You’re going to kill us all,” Ren shouted in her direction. “You need to regain control.” 

Over the platform dark clouds whirled and twisted around themselves, angry and menacing.

 

“What is this madness?”Unkar Plutt cried out. His skin, loose and sagging when outside of his natural salt water environment, was slowly shaping into its original form.   Above their heads, electricity cracked and creaked, reflecting in the sky the mad glint that appeared in Rey’s eyes.

 

“You?” The Junk dealer exclaimed releasing her and backing away in the direction of Kylo Ren. “I’ll kill him if you don’t stop immediately!” 

 

“Rey! Look at me!” Ren begged, completely ignoring the threat. “You can see me. I’m here! Just look at me. We’re free. Let’s just go home.”

 

“Home?” She whispered to herself before turning her gaze to him. “But my home is here.”

 

“It doesn’t have to be,” the Knight replied in a soothing voice. “Not anymore.”

 

“How can you say that after what I did to you? I almost killed you.” She broke into a mad laugh.“The energy. I can’t control it. It’s burning too bright.”

 

“I know. I feel it too. You will learn to control it,” he said calmly. “We both will,” he added, extending his valid arm toward her, inviting her to join him into an embrace. Rey buried her face in the crook of his neck relieved everything was forgotten, forgiven.

 

“Let’s go,” she ushered.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Unkar screamed at them as they were jumping off the platform. He grabbed a piece of scrap metal and raised it high above his head, a most unfortunate decision he did not have time to regret when lightning stroke him. Hux let a high pitched scream escaped at the view of the Crolute adipose tissue melting and boiling under the power, causing Rey and Ren to spin around and gasped in shock.

“Let’s leave this forsaken planet.” Rey announced. With Plutt dead her chances to ever find information about her parents were lost she reckoned. But it did not matter anymore because her family, the family she had chosen was finally in her arms. 


End file.
